Purse

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

Elaborately embroidered purses such as this example were known as "sweet bags" and were used to carry scented herbs or essences to cover unpleasant odors.

The Costume Institute

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Costume Institute's collection of more than thirty-three thousand objects represents seven centuries of fashionable dress and accessories for men, women, and children, from the fifteenth century to the present.

Metropolitan Museum of Art